Suction cleaner



June 30, 1942. H. B. WHITE SUCTION CLEANER Filed Deb. 21, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l' INVENTOR Harry B. White M BY 5' Eula/ 4 5 ATTORNEY Juhe 30, 1942. H. B. WHITE SUCTION CLEANER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 21, 1940 INVENTOR Harry B. White ATTORNEY June 30, 1942. H. B. WHITE V 2,287,924

I SUCTION CLEANER Filed Deo. 21, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet s VII/ll/I/ INVENTOR Harry 3. White June 30, 1942. H. B. WHI'I 'E 2,287,924

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. '21, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Harry B. White Patented June 30, 1942 sUc'noN CLEANER.

Harry Bl White, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 21, 1940, SerialNo. 371,126

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners and more particularly to improved means for working the dirt and litter from the filter bag of a suction cleaner and packing it into a separate removable receptacle, therebyv making it possible for the cleaner to be operated for longer periods of time without disposing, of the accumulation of dirt.

Perhaps the simplest application of a dirt compactor to a suction cleaner is that of a reciprocating dirt feeding member mounted in the discharge opening at the lower end of a filter bag and toward which the dirt and litter gravitate, thence to be forced into a removable collecting receptacle.- Such an arrangement has been disclosed in an application filed November 18, 1939, and bearing Serial No. 305,058, wherein the com-- pacting member is actuated by power derived from the swinging movement of the cleaner handle and transmitted through a suitable drivemechanism.

While the swinging of the handle affords an adequate source of power for actuating the compacting mechanism, it has one disadvantage, namely, that the are through which the handle swings is commensurate with the length of the forward and return strokes of the cleaner over the carpet surface and since these strokes are comparatively short, the compacting strokes. will be made up of anintermittent succession of paotor drive mechanism has been illustrated in l the accompanying drawings,.in which:

short steps incapable individually of producing an effective feeding action of the compacting mechanism.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved drive mechanism whereby effective feeding strokes will be imparted to the compacting member, irrespective of the exact nature of the handle movement. In-a "word, the drive mechanism acts to advance-the compacting member step by step with each up and down movement of the handle throughout one stroke (preferably the feeding stroke) and d-c-ompletes the other stroke with a quick-return Figure 1 is a general viewof a suction cleaner showing the essential parts of the compactor drive mechanism in side elevation;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view in side elevationof the compactor drive mechanism;

Figure 3 is a view in cross section through the compactor assembly as taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 5 are detail .views in perspective showing the track and sliding block arrangement that controls the tilting of the compactor slide bar; and Y Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of the compacting mechanism in tilted position,

The suction cleaner to which a dirtcompactor is especially applicable is one of the portable handle-maneuvered types, consisting. generally of a body or casing I, mounted upon wheels and provided with a handle 2 having pivotal mounting adjacent the rear end of the casing and free to swing in a vertical plane during the movement of the cleaner over the carpet surface. The extreme are through which the handle swings is about 90 degrees,that is, between a verticalor storage position and a rearward and horizontal position, although in normal operation, the

swinging movement of the handle is probably not over 30 degrees or 15 degrees above and below a mean handle angle of say degrees, de-

ber of the suction-creating unit and ultimately having connection with a filter bag I mounted below and supported at its upper end by the handle 2.

But intermediate the outlet connection 6 and V the dirt bag I is a hinged adapter 8 including a flexible bellows section 8a connecting two hinged-- together fittings 8b and 8c,the outer most fitting having a tubulai' extension orconduit 9, terminating in an annular collar or frame ll of enlarged diameter for the lower end of the dirt bag 1. This bag is of the usual construction used 1 Y is clamped to the outer end of the annular frame ID, as shown in Figure 1. This supporting frame for thelower end of the filter bag is practically twice the diameter ofthe conduit 9 and has an internal conical wall segmentllla supporting at its center a gland or stumng-box H for a reciprocating slide-rod i2 which projects into the lower end of the bag I and carries at its end an L-shaped finger or claw l3.

Now, offset below the discharge end of the conduit 9 thereis formed a-rectangular opening I in the annular frame It in line with the path of the slightly curved blade I311. of the compacting member l3, as shown in Figure 3. And communicating with the' lower end of the filter bag I through the opening ll is a disposable dirt collecting receptacle l5 preferably having the form of 'a'heavy paper bag adapted to have its open end fitted over and suitably clamped to a flange Ila surrounding the discharge opening H on its underside. h

The action of the compacting member It may be characterized generally as a reciprocating movement toward and from the opening H which communicates directly with the space at the lowor end of the filter bag, the member l3 pushing a quantity of the dirt and-litter ahead of it into the receiving receptacle during each feeding transverse horizontal axis at the beginning and end of each return stroke. The frame It also carries the mechanism which imparts the reciprocating movement to the compactor slide-rod i2, this mechanism consisting primarily of a sprocket chain l1 carried on sprocket pinions l8, l8, joumaled at opposite ends of the frame Ii, which is elongated in the direction of movementof the slide rod, as clearly shown in Figure 2. The sprocket pinion l8 at the forward end of the frame It is journaled on a pivot pin l9 anchored in. a vertically arranged boss 20 integral with the rear face of the annular bag supporting frame Ill, said pin also forming the pivaasmac v a ures 4 and 5. The cross head 24 faces alon its inner vertical edge, a spreader rail 28 projecting laterally from the opposite side wall of the frame It into the space between the top and bottom leads of the sprocket chain l1, said rail 25 serving to prevent the leads of the sprocket chain from being forced toward each other when pressure is applied to one or the other in a vertical direction and as occurs during the operation of the frame tiltingdevices presently to be described.

' The cross head 24 is open along its side edge facing the sprocket chain l1 and extending endwise into this open edge is a roller 28 iournaled upon an extension of one of the pins connecting adjacentlinks of the sprocket chain, as clearly shown in Figure 5. The height of the cross head is equalto the vertical distance separating the top and bottom leads of the sprocket chain so 4 that as said chain is driven say, in a clockwise- 28 pivotally mounted upon the face of an oscillating plate 29 joumaled upon the samepivot pin Is that supports the driving sprocket pinion l8 and ratchet wheel 21. Connected with the oscillating plate. 29 at a point offset from-the pawl 28 is a link 30 extending substantially parallel with the handle 2 to a point Just short of the outlet connection 6 from the cleaner casing where it connected to a crank arm 3| carried by a shaft 32 joumaled on a suitable bearing bracket 33 with its axis coinciding with the horizontal transverse axis of the hinge connecting the adapter fitting. A spur gear 34 is also mounted on the shaft 32 and this gear wheel meshes with a gear sector 35 forming an integral part of the lower end of the handle 2 with its center coinciding with the handle axis as marked by itsv pivot otal support for the frame Ii and about whichit.

rocks intermittently through av small angle. In its normal position the frame I6 extends parallel with the conduit 9, as shown in Figure 2, and i from that position tilts downwardly to the inclined position, shown in Figure 6. Opposing the tilting of the frame It is a compression spring 2| extending between the underside of the frame g I 6 at a point just rearwardly of its axis of tilt- Thus it is apparent that as the handle 2 is moved up and down during the forward.- and backward strokes of the cleaner over the carpet surface, this movement is transmitted to the crank arm 3|, through the spur gear 34, gear sector 35 and link 30 to the oscillating plate 29 forming the carrier for the driving pawl 2|.- the.

latter being spring-pressed in contact with the ratchet wheel 21.and assisted-by a companion pawl 28a engaging said ratchet wheel at a point l2, with the compacting member 13 moving toward and from the opening I and the collect ing receptacle IS in successiveshortsteps with each up or down movement of the handle. However, as previously explained, it is desirable that the slide rod carrying frame It be tilted downwardly at the completion of each feeding stroke so that the compacting member l3 will follow a different path through the accumulation of dirt and litter during its return stroke. The means for accomplishing this tilting movement will now be described:

Attached to and carried by the sprocket chain I1 is a cam member in the form of a U-shaped shoe 36 pivotally connected at one endto the sprocket chain I! immediately behind the roller 26 as regards its direction of movement, the free portion of the shoe trailing to the rear of its point of attachment. moving with the bottom lead of the chain, it slides in contact with the bottom wall |6a of the tilting frame l6 and, with the sprocket chain being driven in a clockwise direction, it will be evident that the shoe 36 will follow the roller 26 around the sprocket pinion H3 at the rear or free end of the frame l6 from the bottom to the top lead of the chain.

It may be explained at this point, that during the movement of the cross head 24 from right to left, that is to say, during the feeding stroke of the slide rod i2, it is necessary to retain the frame i6 positively against downward tilting movement and to accomplish this, an angle plate 31 is, secured to the outer face of the conduit 9 just above the frame IS, with the flange 31a along its lower edge extendingparallel with and just above the upper lead of the sprocket chain 11. Also, carried by the cross head 24 is a finger 24a oifset above the top surface thereof just enough to ride in contact with the top face of the track flange 31a during the feeding stroke of the compacting member, as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5. Thus, as long as the finger 24a of the cross head 24 rides on top' of the track flange 31a, the frame I 6 is held against downward tilting movement. But it will be noted that at a short distance inwardly from the rear or far end. of the track flange 31a, there is a marginal slit 31b formed in its edge by two kerfs at right' angles to each other and the partially severed portion 310 bent upwardly so that the slit faces endwise and toward the rear end of the track flange.

Now, returning to the action of the shoe 36 in? effecting the tilting of the frame I6, it should be noted flrst that during the movement of the cross head 24 from right to left, that is, during the feeding stroke of the compacting member l3, its guide finger 24a slides along the top side of the track flange 3'Iaand on approaching the end of the stroke passes over and beyond the endwise opening slit 31b. However, as it begins its forward or return stroke, the finger 24a slides through the slit 31b and thence beneath the track flange 31a, whereupon the frame It is now free to be tilted downwardly providing a tilting force is applied thereto and this is the function of the shoe 36 which, upon being carried around the rear sprocket pinion i8 is brought into contact with the underside of the track fiange 3'la just after the finger 24a on the cross head 24 has passed from the top to the underside of the track flange. Thus, the shoe 36 coming into con tact with the underside of the track flange 31a rocks the 'rear end of the frame downwardly to the position shown in Figure 6 and sliding forwardly along the underside holds the frame in tilted position until it encounters an upwardly sloping guideway 31d at the forward end of the track, whereupon the shoe leaves the track flange and permits the frame lG'to rock back into its normal position under the tension of the spring 2|. And finally, as the cross head again begins its succeeding feeding stroke with the frame now parallel with the track 31a, the finger 24a on the Now, when the shoe is cross head passes above the track flange 31b once again and locks the frame. is against tilting during the remainder of the feeding stroke. -In this manner, the compactingelement l3 follows a line directly toward the discharge opening l4 into the collecting receptacle during its feeding stroke but returns along aline angularly disposed to the line of the feeding stroke.

It might also be pointed out in connection with the tilting movement of the frame l6 and'the slide rod l2, that it is necessary for the gland or stufiing box II to shift with the slide rod and for this reason it is preferred to mount the stuffing box at the center of a corrugated or otherwise flexible disc 38 forming the bottom of the conical wall section Il a;

The remaining feature to be disclosed is the mechanism for imparting the so-called quickreturn? motion to the slide rod during its return stroke.

This quick return mechanism consists primarily of a drum 4|! carried on the underside of the frame l6 near its tiltable free end, said drum being relatively supported upon a bracket 4| although its rotation is opposed by a helical spring 42 mounted within the drum with one end fixed to the spindle Ma supporting the drum and the other end of the spring-fixed to the periphery of the drum. The spring is so arranged that the drum can be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction at the same time winding up the spring. Now, wrapped around the periphery of the drum is a strap 43, the turns being wound in a clockwise direction with a straight lead from the top of the drum extending along the bottom wall lBa of the frame l6, around the outside of a pulley 44 journaled at the extreme pivot end of the frame I6 thence upwardly at right angles to a second guide pulley (not shown but in line with the center line of the sprocket chain l1), and thence to the front face of the cross head 24, as clearly shown in Figure 4.

With this spring-drum arrangement, it is ap- "parent that during the feeding stroke, that is,

with the cross head moving from right to left, the strap 43 is being unwound from the drum 40 while the spring 42 is being wound up. Thus, when the cross head reaches the end of its feeding stroke, the tension on the spring 42 in the drum has been built up to such a point thatimmediately the roller 26 passes upwardly and over the outer sprocket pinion l8, the spring tension pulls the cross head forward with a rapid movement, thus completing the return stroke and almost immediately whereupon the feeding stroke" then follows at the usual rate of speed. It is clear that the action of the locking pawl 28a prevents this return movement until it can be accomplished by the movement of the cross head moving roller 26 along the top of the chain. In this way, the dirt in the filter bag has an opportunity to work its way toward the opening l4 at the bottom of the bag whereupon the .compacting member l3 slowly forces a portion into the collecting receptacle and then is quickly shifted Y back to start another feeding stroke, although in the interval the entire compactor assembly is tilted so that the claw-like compacting member I3 is permitted to ride over the accumulation of dirt during the return stroke and into position behind the mass of dirt as begins. 7 I

Thus two advantageous features are incorporated in the compacting mechanismherein disclosed, first, the intermittent tilting move-' the feeding stroke ment of the compacting element which imparts to it what may be termed an up-and--over movement or clawing action, and secondly, the so-called "quick-return movement which eliminates the otherwise prolonged interval between feeding strokes and thus considerably promotes the effectiveness of the compacting action and avoids the possibility of the dirt and litter accumulating within the lower end of the filter bag at a greater rate than the ability of the compacting mechanism to dispose of it.

Having, therefore, disclosed, a preferred embodiment of the invention, I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, the combination of suction-creating means, a filter bag connected with the outlet from said suction-creating means, a dirt receptacle communicating with said filter bag at its lower end, a dirt compacting member for feedingthe dirt from said bag into said receptacle during the operation of said cleaner, means to develop usable power during cleaner operation, mechanism for transmitting the power from said source to said compacting member, a frame supporting said compacting member and mounted for limited tilting movement, and means for tilting said frame at predetermined intervals to vary the path of movement of said compacting member.

2. In a suction cleaner, the combination of suction-creating means, a filter bag connected with the outlet from said suction-creating means, a dirt receptacle communicating with said filter bag at its lower end, a reciprocating dirt compacting member for feeding the dirt from said bag into said receptacle during the operation of said cleaner, means to develop usable power during cleaner operation, mechanism for transmitting power from said source to said compact ing member, a frame supporting said compacting member and tiltable bodily to vary the path of said compacting member in its feeding and return strokes, and means for tilting said frame at predetermined intervals in the reciprocating movement of said compacting member.

3. In a suction cleaner, the combination of suction-creating means, a filter bag connected with the outlet from said suction-creating means, a dirt receptacle communicating with the lower end of said filter bag, a reciprocating dirt compacting member, means to develop usable power during cleaner operation, mechanism for transmitting power from said source to said compacting member, and means for imparting a variable reciprocating movement to said compacting member whereby the stroke in one direction is relatively quicker than the stroke in the opposite direction.

4. In a suction cleaner, the combination of suction-creating means, a filter bag connected with the outlet from said suction-creating means, a dirt receptacle communicating with the lower end of .said filter bag, a reciprocating dirt compacting member mounted adjacent the opening from said bag, means to develop usable power during cleaner operation, mechanism for transmitti g power from said source to said comv frame during alternate strokes of said compactpacting member, a frame supporting said comaasaeac bag at its lower end, dirt compacting mechanism.

for feeding the dirt from said filter ing into said receptacle during the operation of the cleaner comprising a reciprocating compacting member moving toward and from the discharge opening to said receptacle, means to develop usable power during cleaner operation, an endless chain operatively connected with said compacting member and pawl and ratchet mechanism driven from said source of power through an intermediate crank and connecting rod, and a spring-actuated quick-return mechanism connected with said compacting member and operative to impart to said reciprocating compacting element a relatively quick stroke in one direction.

6. Ina suction cleaner, the combination of suction-creating means, a filter bag connected with the outlet from said suction-creating means, a dirt receptacle communicating with the filter bag at its lower end, dirt compacting mechanism for feeding the dirt from said filter bag into said receptacle during the operation of the cleaner comprising a reciprocating compacting member, a frame supporting said compacting member and mounted for bodily tilting movement about an axis transverse to the path of said compacting member, means to develop usable power during cleaner operation, an endless chain carried by said frame and connected with said compacting member, pawl and ratchet mechanism driving said chain and driven from said source of power through an intermediate crank and connecting rod, and means for tilting said frame through a limited angle during each alternate stroke of said compacting member comprising a shoe carried by said chain and contacting a fixed track parallel with said chain.

7. In a suction cleaner, the combination of suction-creating means, a filter bag connected with the outlet from said suction-creating means, a dirt receptacle communicating with the lower end of said filter bag, a handle pivotally mounted on the cleaner body to swing in a vertical direction, a dirt compacting member operative to feed the dirt from said filter bag intosald receptacle, and mechanism for transmitting the swinging movement of said handle to said dirt compacting operative connection with said chain to impart,

an intermittent movement thereto in one direction, a tiltable frame supporting said driven chain and compacting member, a cam member carried by said chain and adapted to contact a fixed track adjacent said chain for tilting said ing member, and tension means opposing the tilting of said frame.

8. In a suction cleaner, the combination of suction-creating means, a filter bag connected with the outlet from said suction-creating means, a dirt receptacle communicating with the lower end of said filter bag, a handle pivotally mounted on the cleaner body to swing in a vertical direction, a dirt. compacting member operative to feed the dirt from said filter bag into said receptacle, mechanism for transforming the swingingmovement of said handle into a reciprocating movement of said compacting member, the latter comprising a claw-like member mounted at the end of a sliding rod, a frame supporting said sliding rod and mounted for intermittent rocking movement, means for rocking saidirame during alternate strokes of said compacting member, and means for importing variable feeding and return strokes to said compacting member.

9. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, dirt-filtering means connected to said suctioncreating means and adapted to receive dirt-laden air therefrom, a receptacle opening into said filtering means adjacent a point therein at which collected foreign material accumulates, dirt-moving means mounted for movement at said pointtoward and from said receptacle in a path which includes an action stroke at a lower level and a return stroke at a higher level and power-transmitting' means to actuate said dirt-moving means.

10. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, dirt-filtering means connected to said suction-creatingmeans and adapted to receive dirt-laden air therefrom, a receptacle opening into said filtering means adjacent a point there-- in at whichcollected foreign material accumulates, dirt-moving means in said filtering means, means mounting said dirt-moving-means for movement toward said receptacle in' a straight line and for movement from said receptacle in a path including a straight line inclined upwardly.

at an angle .to said first-mentioned straight line and a downward movement which places said dirt-moving means at the start of said firstmentioned straight line, and power-transmitting means to actuate said dirt-moving means.

. HARRY B. WHI'IIE. 

